Increase rent ' officially' but effectively not really.

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What’s the tax treatment of those transactions you’re suggesting?
 
And what does HAP pay, the fake rent or the real rent?
If it's the fake rent and the tenant gets a refund or a 'rent holiday' then it's presumably fraud.
I'm not familiar with the HAP scheme; however, the rent holiday would be the tenants contribution.

There is no fake rent here.
 
What’s the tax treatment of those transactions you’re suggesting?
The landlord’s rental liability is on the rent paid less the discount. I’ve given tenants occasional discounts for various reasons over the years and have paid tax on the net rent, not the gross.

Why would anyone declare income they didn’t have?

Disclaimer: I have no idea how HAP works and there may be other landlord obligations at play.
 
That reads a lot like the rent then being the lower amount for RTB purposes, and potentially being the higher amount for income tax purposes and some form of gift to the tenant.
 
Looking at it briefly the answer seems to be that the tenant pays the same amount based on their own income in HAP. So an 8% increase has no impact on the tenant at all, HAP would pay the increase. You can't give a rent holiday under HAP, the payment is from the council, tenant pays the council. The landlord presumably doesn't know the tenant contribution as the payment comes from HAP. I'd be very wary of gifting HAP money back to the tenant, it would leave you open to claims of colluding with the tenant on benefit fraud.
 
That reads a lot like the rent then being the lower amount for RTB purposes,

It’s perfectly possible to give a discount to a regulated price. Taxi fares are regulated and a taxi driver is perfectly entitled to give a discount to the legal maximum fare. Taxi drivers, like any of us, are obliged to pay tax on income actually received and not on a theoretical income based on a regulated price.

and potentially being the higher amount for income tax purposes and some form of gift to the tenant.
The tenant’s tax affairs are their own business. If the tenant feels that they have been given a gift than it would be covered by the €3,000 small gift exemption.
 
Taxi fares are regulated and a taxi driver is perfectly entitled to give a discount to the legal maximum fare.
Whilst this is true - I think the comments in regards to HAP are valid.

I don't have any properties under the HAP scheme, so I'm not au fait with it; perhaps this is no longer the case, but it used to be that X amount was paid to property owner under the scheme and the tenant paid the balance directly to the property owner.

From what has been posted here, and tell me if I have this wrong, the tenant pays their contribution to the relevant authority and from there the property owner is paid.

So whilst a rent holiday is perfectly legitimate in general; I too would be wary where state funded rental is involved.
 
The whole point is to get the rent to the higher level. Your plan reduces it again in my view.
 
So whilst a rent holiday is perfectly legitimate in general; I too would be wary where state funded rental is involved.

True, but there's nothing to stop a landlord of a hap property giving the tenant a gift. Small gifts can be to anyone. No reason for the council to be involved.
 
True, but there's nothing to stop a landlord of a hap property giving the tenant a gift. Small gifts can be to anyone. No reason for the council to be involved.
I think you misunderstand the meaning of a gift. A discount or accumulation of discounted granted in the course of business for example is not a gift.
 
I think you misunderstand the meaning of a gift. A discount or accumulation of discounted granted in the course of business for example is not a gift.


So if I had a tenant and gave them a voucher or cash of €x at say Christmas and Easter, you're saying that's not a gift, but what if I gave wine or chocolates, are they gifts?
The only difference may be in the value. Gifts from one individual to another are perfectly legal afaik.

Also, I constantly read that renting of residential property by individuals is not a business or treated by revenue as such. I don't believe this thread is about companies whose commercial business is residential lettings.

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If I had a tenant and gave them a voucher or cash of €x at say Christmas and Easter, that's not a gift, but what if I gave wine or chocolates, are they gifts ?
My point stands.
I constantly read....
Where?
...that renting of residential property by individuals is not a business.
Is it not? Do people do it for fun, or in the hope of making money? If the latter, of course it's a business.
I don't believe this thread is about companies whose commercial business is residential lettings.
Nobody mentioned companies.
You don't have to have a company to be in business.
Anyone who uses a limited company as a vehicle for residential lettings is either a tycoon or a moron.
 

Of course one doesn't need a company set-up to be in business but we all know that rental income is not treated the same as trading income. And like other investments, it may be done to make a profit.

However, if I as a private individual (not a trading entity), choose to give a gift to another private individual, how would anyone conclude that it was accumulated business discounts?
 
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However, if I as a private individual (not a trading entity), choose to give a gift to another private individual, how would anyone conclude that it was accumulated business discounts?
I don't see your point here. If you're giving money to someone with whom you've a business relationship, of course it's a transaction in the course of business. Try giving some money or a voucher to a public official for Christmas, and they'll soon tell you they can't accept it.

If you've a close family member who happens to work in such a role, of course you can give them whatever you like, because that's clearly a gift, not a business transaction.

Your point about chocolates and wine is irrelevant here as a landlord can't credibly increase the rent by promising a bottle of red or a tub of Heroes at Christmas.
 
Not sure if this document is up to date, but it states that tax must be paid on rent receivable as per the lease, not the actual rent paid. So if you receive less than stated on the lease, you write it off each year as a bad debt. Would you need to prove it's not recoverable? As Gordan said, an odd email about the unpaid rent would show you tried to recover it.

"Members should be aware rental income is taxable on a receivable basis i.e what
you are entitled to receive as per the lease rather than what was actually received.
Any unpaid rent, if not recoverable, can subsequently be written off as bad debt and
a refund can be claimed for any tax paid on it."

 
I'd be very wary of gifting HAP money back to the tenant, it would leave you open to claims of colluding with the tenant on benefit fraud.
One of my tenants deliberately did not tell HAP when he moved out, so they paid me a half month extra. Tenant wanted me to pay him that. He's the only tenant I've never paid a deposit back to as he's an utter crook. And if I paid him it I'd be over a barrel if HAP came looking for it. He only apologised to me when we sent a solicitors letter to him. More lies from him of course.
 
How does that work if there is no written lease?
 
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